New F-35 stealth missile
By Mauricio Luque -June 27, 20223931
The U.S. Air Force has signed contracts with three companies for the development of the new stealth missile to be carried by the F-35
The U.S. Air Force recently awarded contracts to three companies for the first phase of a new program to develop a stealthy air-to-ground strike weapon that the F-35 could use to destroy enemy air defenses. But it does not intend to develop a conventional missile. Instead, the Air Force’s interest is moving away from the traditional focus away from the relatively uncontested airspace of the Middle East over the past two decades and is focusing on figuring out how to fight in a contested environment against an advanced enemy like China and its advanced technology.
The three companies are the largest weapons contractor, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman (the leader in the development of the B-21 Raider) and L3Harris Technologies (the nation’s sixth largest contractor). The Air Force indicated that it was preparing to move forward with the SIAW (Stand-in Attack Weapon) program with the goal of acquiring a total of 42 experimental missiles. Unlike stand-off missiles, which are designed to be fired beyond the range of enemy defenses, usually by an aircraft such as a B-52, stealth missiles have a shorter range, but are carried by low-detectability aircraft, such as the F-35 itself, within a high-intensity scenario.
According to the Air Force, this type of missile would allow it to attack enemy targets that have defenses that can react quickly. Potential targets include integrated air defense systems, ballistic missile launchers, ground attack and anti-ship cruise missile launchers, GPS jammers and anti-satellite systems.
https://www.theallineed.com/news/20220627/new-f-35-stealth-missile/
